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The Innocents Abroad

by: Mark Twain

Publication date: 2006-09-20

Usage: Public Domain

Topics: librivox, audiobook, literature

Librivox recording of The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain. Writer/entertainer Garrison Keillor (A Prairie Home Companion) on "The Innocents Abroad": "...one of the best selling travel books of all time." (The Writer's Almanac, June 8, 2012) When you dive into Mark Twain’s (Samuel Clemens’) The Innocents Abroad, you have to be ready to learn more about the unadorned, ungilded reality of 19th century “touring” than you might think you want to learn. This is a tough, literary journey. It was tough for Twain and his fellow “pilgrims”, both religious and otherwise. They set out, on a June day in 1867, to visit major tourist sites in Europe and the near east, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, “the Holy Land”, and Egypt. What Twain records, in often humorous, sometimes grotesque but always fascinating detail, are the day-to-day ups and downs of discovering the truth about people and places. The truths they learn are often far different than their education and rumor have made them preconceive.

This is a voyage of discovery. It’s long and, in places, tiresome. But it’s revelatory about so much. As with some of his other works, Twain includes popular prejudices of his time, which are today considered socially unacceptable. His references to “Indians”, “Negroes” and “infidels” come to mind.

Beyond the lows, though, there are the highs of Twain’s cutting whit and insight as he guides us along the bumpy and often dangerous voyage.

No need to buckle up. Just take it slow, and steady…like the journey itself. Summary by John Greenman Read by John Greenman. For more free audiobooks, or to become a volunteer reader, please visit librivox.org. Download M4B Part 1 (125MB) Download M4B Part 2 (140MB) Download M4B Part 3 (143MB) Download M4B Part 3 (138MB)

Addeddate: 2006-09-20 11:43:40

Boxid: OL100020312

Identifier: innocents_abroad_librivox

Identifier-storj: jw577ebbcw3f44emzzhpdxr7vwvq/archive.org/innocents_abroad_librivox

Ocr: ABBYY FineReader 9.0

Ocr_converted: abbyy-to-hocr 1.1.11

Ocr_module_version: 0.0.14

Ppi: 600

Run time: 19:36:22

Source: Librivox recording of a public-domain text

Taped by: LibriVox

Year: 2006

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Reviews

Reviewer: DirtBrother - - May 14, 2019
Subject: A delightful glimpse into the lost world of yesterday...

This is an absolutely wonderful listen! Greenman is my favorite Clemens narrator, and the stories...oh the stories! This is a delightful glimpse into the lost world of yesterday, and this traipse across Europe and the Holy Land show just how much has changed.
I had to listen several times to his adventures at nearly being arrested in Greece, only to wind up atop a moonlit Acropolis, hypnotized by the narrative power braced by hilarity and bolstered by incredible imagery. He can be quite judgemental at times but behind it is a sense that his grasp of the human condition applies equally to himself.
This is absolutely one of the best Librivox gifts of literature I've had the pleasure of enjoying.

Thanks!

Reviewer: Charlie Heinz - - August 26, 2017
Subject: Great Narration

The narrator is perfect for this audiobook. He is so smooth and has a nicely pitched voice that carries across the room.

Reviewer: Sam West - - November 10, 2015
Subject: Outstanding Narration!

Outstanding narration. So smooth. I can hear in my mind's eye what Mark Twain wrote.

Reviewer: MhArch - - August 22, 2015
Subject: Very Good Reading

This was a very well done reading of a very enjoyable book. Thanks for recording!

Reviewer: ushumgal - - May 19, 2015
Subject: Well done, though a bit of polish might help

The narrator: John Greenman has an excellent voice for narrating audiobooks. His pacing is generally good, with the occasional stumble. The one area that could really use some improvement is his pronunciation of foreign names, especially classical ones (often stressing the wrong syllable). Still, he is certainly one of the best open source narrators out there. Keep up the good work!

The book: deeply engaging, full of classic Mark Twain humor, much of which has aged well (though some of his views are quite dated, of course). The manner in which they drove their Roman tour guide crazy in Chapter 27 is particularly entertaining. Well worth listening to for anyone interested in the 19th Century, in travel, or in historical views of Europe and the Middle East.

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